Jimi Hendrix Encyclopedia

Did you see Jimi Hendrix in concert? Did you meet Jimi Hendrix or have the opportunity to interview him or have some other unique, first-person encounter with Jimi Hendrix? If so, Experience Hendrix wants to hear from you.

The March 22 edition of Billboard magazine’s “International News Reports” headlines Hendrix Wins Paris Fest’s Pop Prize. The headline refers to Hendrix Billboard’s 1968 Artist of the Year as the recipient of the Popular Music Prize in the 1969 Academie Charles Cros Awards at the Festival du Son held at the Palais d’Orsay in Paris, France. The Jimi Hendrix Experience is named both the #2 Duo & Group and #2 Artist overall in Billboard’s March 22, Campus Attractions supplement. The honor marks The Experience as being the second best selling group based on reports from college book and record stores throughout the United States between March 1968 and February 1969. On both charts, The Experience were second only to Simon & Garfunkel.

On this day, Hendrix signed a contract for $12,500 to perform at the Fillmore East in New York. Most importantly, the Fillmore East would serve as the venue for the recording of a live album by the guitarist. In recent weeks, Hendrix had determined that the most expedient way to resolve his obligation to Capitol Records per the 1968 PPX legal settlement would be to deliver a live album to the label. “The Fillmore gigs were put together very last minute,” recalls Hendrix road manager Gerry Stickells. “The Fillmore East and West were trend spots and Bill Graham was the trend guy. It would be like a major act doing a live album in a club now, compared to a stadium. “

Madison Square Garden, N.Y. As spirited as the Fillmore concerts may have been, the resurrection of the Jimi Hendrix Experience became the immediate priority of Jimi’s management. This became increasingly so in the aftermath of a failed January 28, 1970 Band Of Gypsys gig at Madison Square Garden. The Winter Carnival For Peace was an event organized by promoter Sid Bernstein. The concert was a nonprofit benefit to raise money for the Moratorium Fund, an antiwar effort. Joining Hendrix and the Band Of Gypsys on the bill were such diverse acts as the Rascals, Harry Belefonte, and the cast of Hair. Jimi’s performance began shortly after 3 a.m. He lurched miserably through two songs “Who Knows” and “Earth Blues” before he sat down on the stage and refused to continue. Buddy Miles tried to mollify the confused audience, pleading for their patience but Hendrix refused to continue. Miles petitioned the crowd to allow Hendrix time to regroup but Jimi unplugged his guitar and disappeared backstage. The group’s aborted performance left a bitter taste for Hendrix, Cox, and Miles and the three parted company immediately afterwards. Jimi described the scene a few days after concert to Rolling Stone’s John Burks. “It’s like the end of the beginning or something,” explained Hendrix. “I figure that Madison Square Garden is like the end of a big long fairy tale. Which is great. I think it’s like the best ending I could possibly have come up with. The Band Of Gypsys were out of sight as far as I’m concerned. It was just…going through head changes is what it was. I couldn’t really tell. I was very tired. You know, sometimes there’s a lot of things that add up in your head about this or that and they might hit you at a very peculiar time, which happened to be at a peace rally. Here I’d been fighting the biggest war I ever fought. In my life. Inside, you know? And like that wasn’t the place to do it.”

Throughout this month, both Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox joined Hendrix at his 59 West 12th Street apartment in Greenwich Village for exploratory jam sessions. Hendrix made a number of home recordings during this period. Hendrix alternated between acoustic and electric guitar as he routined such fare as “Stepping Stone,” “Send My Love To Linda”, “Last Thursday Morning,” “Freedom,” “Bolero”, and the fleeting, twelve-string “Acoustic Demo” featured as part of the Dagger Records release Morning Symphony Ideas.